Freshman guard Jack Collins scored a season-high 32 points as Monmouth overwhelmed Hampton University 100-64 Friday to begin the Colonial Athletic Association’s championship tournament before 1,529 at the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington. It was the largest margin of victory in CAA Tournament history.
The 12th-seeded Pirates (8-24) swept two games from the 13th-seeded Hawks (7-25) in the regular season, but the third contest was far different.
Collins dominated the clash of CAA newcomers, hitting 10 of 13 field-goal attempts and 6 of 7 free throws for the Hawks, who had five double-digit scorers and shot a season-best 56.7% (34 of 60), including 58.8% (10 of 17) from 3-point range. After scoring 100 points for the first time since 1997, they will face fifth-seeded Drexel at 2:30 p.m. today for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Russell “Deuce” Dean led Hampton with 21 points, while Marquis Godwin had 11 and Aaron Nesbitt nine, but the Pirates hit just 37.7% (23 of 61), including 25% (7 of 28) from beyond the arc. Jordan Nesbitt blocked three shots.
Hampton’s only lead was 3-2. Monmouth, averaging just 61 points entering the game, surged ahead 17-5 and led by as many as 23 in the first half, which finished with a 55-34 score. The margin was in the 30s for much of the second half.
BIG SOUTH
Campbell 81, Longwood 68: Jay Pal had 23 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks as the Camels (13-17) upset the defending champion Lancers (20-11) in a Big South quarterfinal in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Anthony Dell’Orso scored 20 points and added eight rebounds for seventh-seeded Campbell, and Ricky Clemons shot 7 of 9 from the field and 4 for 6 from the line to finish with 18 points.
The second-seeded Lancers led 41-35 at halftime but struggled in the second half as Pal posted 17 points.
Longwood was led by Isaiah Wilkins, who posted 23 points. Landstown High graduate Michael Christmas added 15, and D’Avian Houston finished with eight points and four steals.
Radford 78, Winthrop 69: Josiah Jeffers had 21 points for the third-seeded Highlanders, who will face Campbell in Saturday’s semifinal round.
Jeffers added seven assists for the Highlanders (18-13). Shaquan Jules scored 20 points while going 8 of 11 from the field and 4 of 6 from the free-throw line, and added six rebounds. DaQuan Smith recorded 16 points and was 6 of 10 shooting (4 for 5 from distance).
Kasen Harrison led the Eagles (15-16) with 26 points and four assists.
SOUTHERN CONFERENCE
Chattanooga 92, VMI 72: The Mocs’ Jake Stephens scored 21 points against his former team as Chattanooga (16-16) won a Southern Conference first-round game. Tony Felder had 19 points for the Keydets (7-25), who trailed 22-4 after 7 1/2 minutes.
NCAA DIVISION III
Randolph-Macon 73, Wilson 36: Josh Talbert of Virginia Beach scored a team-high 15 points as the top-ranked Yellow Jackets opened their NCAA title defense by breezing to a victory at Crenshaw Gym in Ashland. They led 44-8 at halftime over their opponents from Pennsylvania.
Talbert also had four assists, three steals and three rebounds. Miles Mallory added 14 points and 10 rebounds.
R-MC will be at home again at 7 p.m. Saturday to face Scranton, which edged North Carolina Wesleyan 65-64.
Mary Washington 69, St. Lawrence 42: The Eagles (20-8) rolled to a first-round victory over St. Lawrence (19-8) in New Jersey. Peterson and Greg Rowson scored 14 points apiece and Williamsburg’s Da’Shawn Cook had 11 for UMW.
Breaking News
The Eagles will play a second-round game at 6:30 p.m. Saturday against pod host Stockton (23-5), which beat LaRoche 86-70.
Oswego State 80, Marymount 62: The Saints, from Arlington in Northern Virginia, fell to the host Lakers in New York. Ahkee Anderson scored 24 points and Jeremiah Sparks 21 for sixth-ranked Oswego State (26-2).
Marymount’s Montell Cooper had 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
REGULAR SEASON
Tulane 81, East Carolina 78: Jaylen Forbes scored 25 points and was 5 for 10 from beyond the arc for the Green Wave (18-10, 11-6 American Athletic Conference) in New Orleans. Jalen Cook scored 19 points and added eight assists, and Kevin Cross had 15 points and eight rebounds for Tulane.
RJ Felton led the Pirates (15-15, 6-11) with 23 points and seven rebounds. Ezra Ausar added 22 points and eight rebounds, and Brandon Johnson had 11 points, 13 rebounds and two steals.
ECU led 36-31 at the half, but Forbes scored 17 points in the second half.